Tamil Nadu to review fall in engineering admission

Five years ago, about 50,000 engineering seats were vacant in Tamil Nadu. The number increased to about 80,000 last year and this academic year, it went up further to more than 90,000.

A senior official from the Directorate of Technical Education (DoTE) told DT Next that a committee comprising academicians, former vice-chancellors and experts would look into the reason for the increase in the number vacant engineering seats.

The panel members would first study the situation after seeking feedback from the management of technical universities to know whether there was a need to upgrade the syllabus according to the latest need of the industry, he added.

“The committee will also look into the possibility of merging courses for better job prospects,” he said. Experts from various industries would also be invited for the review, the official said. “There is also a possibility that the panel would recommend removing outdated courses that do not provide employment opportunities. The experts will also identify the grey areas in the courses so that it could be upgraded,” he said.

The official said the panel would also discuss the current higher education scenario even with former engineering students who are now placed in good jobs. “Similarly, the members will identify the colleges and institutions that failed to attract the students even for the latest courses. A separate team comprising DoTE officials will also check the infrastructure facilities of the colleges affiliated to the State-run universities.”

The report with the committee findings would be submitted to the government, and the government is expected to take efforts to improve the situation so as to increase the number of admissions in the next academic year itself, he added.

A series of awareness campaigns would also be periodically organised among higher secondary students on the importance of engineering courses and the job opportunities available in the State and elsewhere.